Cloth-cutting machine.



PATBNTED MAIL 10, 1903..

I R. P. WRIGHT.- CLOTH CUTTING MACHINE. APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 6, 1901.

NO MODEL.

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UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

ROSS PIER WRIGHT, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO EASTMAN MACHINECOMPANY, OF BUFFALO, NEW-YORK.

CLOTH-CUTTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 722,475, dated March10, 1903.

' Application filed September 6, 1901. Serial No. 74,514. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, Ross PIER WRIGHT, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Bufialo, in the county of Erie and State of New York,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Cloth-Cutting Machines, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates mainly to that class of portable cutting-machineswhich are used in the manufacture of clothing for cutting a pile ornumber of plies of cloth simultaneously and in which a reciprocatingknife and its operating motor or mechanism are supported upon a base onwhich the machine is moved about by the operator on a cuttingtable, soas to follow the pattern or desired line of out. In order to be easilyhandled, such machines must be comparatively small and light. In the useof such machines the action of the cutter mechanism causes vibrations ofthe machine, which greatly interfere with the propercontrol and guidanceof the machine by the hand of the operator.

The main object of this invention is'to so mount the cutter mechanism onthe base of the machine that the vibrations are absorbed Another objectof this invention is to im-' prove the parts by which the reciprocatingknife is guided in the standard and the latter is connected with thebase-plate.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of acutting-machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a verticallongitudinal section of the base and the lower portion of the standardon an enlarged scale. Fig. 3 is an enlarged bottom plan view of thebase. Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary-horizontal section through thestandard and knifeguide in line 4 4, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a verticalsection in line 5 5, Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a vertical section in line 6 6,Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a detail vertical section in line 7 7, Fig. 3. Fig. 8is a similar view in line 8 8, Fig. 3. Fig; 9 is a similar view in line9 9, Fig. 3.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

A indicates the cutter or knife, which is mounted to reciprocatevertically in a guideway B on the front side of a standard 0, on

which is supported a motor D of suitable type-such, for instance, as anelectric motorwhich is connected by a crank E and pitman F with thereciprocating upright rod G, which carries the knife A and whichreciprocates in bearings g g, also supported from said standard. Hindicates a handle, by means of which the machine is moved about on thecutting-table and guided. These features of the machine form no part ofthe present invention and may be of any suitable construction.

I represents the base-frame,which, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. haspreferably a rounded front 11 and has the top face of its marginal edgesbeveled or rounded off, as at t", to a thin bottom edge, which at thefront rests on the cutting-table, so as to' enable the frame to beeasily slid along the table under the cloth thereon, which is thuslifted onto the top of the base and into the path of the knife. In orderto reduce the friction of the base- .frame on the cutting-table, theframe is provided with supporting-rollers J, preferably located, asshown, one under each side of the frame somewhat in rear of the centerof gravity of the machine, so that the forward end of the base-frame istilted down into contact with the supporting-surface, while the rear endis held clear or out of contact therewith. The rollers are located inpockets or depressions j in the under face of the side pieces of theframe and are j ournaled on axles supported in bearing-lugs j at thesides of the pockets.

The standard 0, which forms the support for all of the working parts ofthe machine, is

not supported directly on the base-frame I, but indirectly through themedium of a bed or base plate K, which is located within the opening ofthe base-frame and is yieldingly supported on the latter. This yieldingconnection of the bed or base plate withthe baseframe is of such anature that the bed or base plate can vibrate vertically under theaction of the cutter mechanism, while the surrounding base-frame restsquietly upon the table and is not affected by the vibrations of thebase-plate. As shown in the drawings, the base-plate is connected withthe baseframe for this purpose by leaf-springs 7c, ar-

I other end to the base-frame.

ranged at the front and rear sides of thebaseplate on the under sidethereof and each secured at one end to the base-plate and at the Theconnection of one end of each spring is preferably a loose or slidingone to permit free play of the spring. This may be efiected by means ofa headed screw passed up through an elongated slot 10 in the spring andscrewed into the under side of a depending lug 70 on the base-frame. Thelugs 70 and also the inner bearing-lugsj preferably project inwardlybeyond the inner margin of the base-frame and into recessesv or pocketsk in the under face of the baseplate, so that these lugs form stops,which limit the downward movement of the baseframe. The top of thebase-frame is prevented from springing upwardly beyond the top face ofthe base-frame by suitable means, such as stops L, secured to the underside of the base-plate and projecting under the sides of the base-frame,as shown in Figs. 3 and 9.

The base-plate K preferably occupies the entire opening in thebase-frame I, merely having enough play to allow for the free verticalmovement of the plate in the baseframe. The front of the base-plate andthe opening in the base-frame are preferably rounded or curved, like thefront edge of the base-frame. The top face of the base-plate is heldnormally flush with the top of the base-frame by the supporting-springsk and stops L. In order to hold the plate at its front edge tightlyagainst the front side of the base-frame, so as not to leave a crack inwhich the cloth can catch, a flat spring M is arranged between the rearlug 1.2 and the front wall of the depression 70 in the baseplate, intowhich the lug projects, the spring being secured to one part. Thisspring yieldingly holds the base-plate forward into contact with thefront side of the base-frame. A similar spring N, located in the pocketk on one side of the base-plate and bearing against the adjacentbearing-lug, holds the opposite side of the base-plate snugly againstthe neighboring side of the base-frame.

P represents leaf-springs arranged beneath the base-plate and eachsecured at one end to the under side of the same. These springs, ofwhich four are shown, cushion the bed and prevent the same from knockingagainst the cutting-table or other surface on which the machine rests.The springs preferably have antifriction-rollers 0 journaled on theirfree ends for reducing the resistance which the springs offer to themovement of the machine on the cutting-table. The base-plate is providedabove the rollers with pockets or openings 0, which permit the bed tospring down without striking the rollers.

The vibrations of the machine caused by the cutting mechanism are nottransmitted to the base-frame, but are absorbed by the springsconnecting the base-plate with the frame. The base-plate is free tovibrate vertically more or less in the base-frame, while the latterrests quietly on the cutting-table or passes quietly over the same asthe machine is guided by the operator in following the pattern or lineof cut.

The upright front side of the standard 0 and the parts attached theretomust be comparatively thin and smooth to ofier as little resistance aspossible to the cloth and prevent its catching. The sides of thestandard are for that purpose tapered forwardly, and the knife-guide isformed of two thin hard steel plates B, having sharp front edges. Thepreferred manner of securing these plates to the standard is shown inFig. 4, from which it will be seen that the front side of the standardis provided with a groove or channel p, into which the upright rearedges of the plates extend, the plates being spaced apart by aspacing-strip p.

19? indicates rivets which pass through holes in the walls of thechannel of the standard, the plates B, and the spacing-strip p andwhereby the parts are firmly secured to the standard. The spacing-stripp is also made of hardened steel and forms a back support against whichthe back of the knife runs and which guides the knife and receives thepressure resulting from the knife cutting into the material, therebypreventing the knife from wearing into the standard at the back of thegroove. The wall of the groove, which are formed of the comparativelysoft iron of which the standard is formed, are protected by theguide-plates and the back strip from the wear of the knife, and thelatter is guided and controlled with great accuracy at all times. If itshould become necessary, the guide-plates and back strip can be readilyrenewed. The latter is provided with a circular foot Q, Figs. 2, 3, 4,5, and 6, which is externally screw-threaded and screwed into a circularscrew-threaded opening q in the base-plate K. This foot is provided witha knife slot or opening 1 the upper portions of the walls of whichpreferably overhang or approach each other and are made of separatethroat-plates of hard steel. These throat-plates are segmental in shapeand are set in correspondingly-shaped seats in the upper face of thefoot Q and secured by means of screws g To make the connection a verysecure one, the under sides of the throat-plates are provided withtongues q, entering corresponding grooves in the bottoms of the seats,or vice versa. To prevent accidental turning of the foot in its opening,a wedge-bolt R, Fig. 3, is secured in an opening formed partly in thebase plate and partly in the foot Q.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination of a base adapted to restupon and be moved about on the cuttingtable or other supporting-surface,a bed for a cutting mechanism or the like yieldingly supported by saidbase above and clear of the supporting-surface, whereby said bed ispermitted to vibrate on said base while the lat- IIO ter rests quietlyupon such table or other supporting-surface,substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of a base adapted to rest upon and be moved about onthe cutting-table or other supporting-surface, a bed for a cuttingmechanism or the like, and an elastic connection between said bed andsaid base, whereby the bed is supported by the base above and clear ofthe supporting-surface and is permitted to vibrate on said base whilethe latter rests quietly upon such table or other supportingsurface,substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of a bed-plate for supporting a cutting mechanism orthe like, a base-frame which surrounds said plate and rests upon thesupporting-surface for the cloth, and springs by which said bed isyieldingly supported on said frame above and clearof thesupporting-surface and permitted to vibrate in said frame, substantiallyas set forth.

4.. The combination of a base-frame which rests upon thesupportingsurface for the cloth, a supporting-bed for a cuttingmechanism or the like arranged in the opening of said frame, and springssecured to the under side of said bed and base-frame for yieldinglysupporting said bed-frame above and clear of the supporting-surface,substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of a base-frame which rests upon thesupporting-surface for the cloth, a supporting-bed for a cuttingmechanism or the like arranged in the opening of said frame, and springssecured to said baseframe and projecting under parts on said bed,whereby said bed is yieldingly supported by said frame above and clearof the supportingsurface, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination of a base-frame which rests upon thesupporting-surface for the cloth, a supporting-bed for a cuttermechanism or the like arranged in said frame and capable of verticalmovement therein, an elastic connection by which said bed is supportedon said frame above and clear of the supporting-surface, and a springarranged between the side of the frame and bed for preventing horizontalmovement of the bed in the frame, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination of a base-frame which rests upon thesupporting-surface for the cloth, a supporting-bed for a cuttingmechanism or the like arranged in the same, springs yieldinglysupporting said bed on said frame above and clear of thesupportingsurface, and stops for limiting the vertical movement of thebed in the frame, substantially as set forth.

'8. The combination of a base which rests upon the supporting-surfacefor the cloth, a supporting-bed for a cutting mechanism or the like,springs yieldingly supporting said bed from said base above and clear ofthe supporting-surface, and spring devices secured to said bed and whichproject below the bottom of the bed and are adapted to contact with thesupporting-surface to yieldingly oppose the downward movement of thebed, substantially as set forth. 1

9. The combination with a knife and a standard provided with an uprightchannel or groove for said knife, of guide-plates arranged with theirrear portions in said groove and their front portions projecting beyondthe front face of the standard, a spacing-strip arranged between therear portions of said guide-plates, and fastenings passing through saidstandard, guide-plates and spacing-strip, substantially as set forth.

10. The combination of a knife capable of up-and-down movement, astandard having an upright knife-groove which is open at the front, andan upright back strip secured in the rear portion of said groove andforming a back-support and guide for the knife, substantially as setforth.

11. The combination of a knife capable of up-and-down movement, astandard having an upright knife-groove which is open at the front, andupright guide-plates arranged in said groove against-the sides thereof,substantially as set forth.

12. The combination of a knife capable of up-and-down movement, astandard having an upright knife-groove which is open at the front,upright guide-plates arranged in said groove against the sides thereof,an upright back strip arranged between said plates at the back of thegroove and forming a backsupport and guide for the knife, and meanswhereby said guide-plates and back strip are secured in said groove,substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand this 14th day of August, 1901.

I ROSS PIER WRIGHT. Witnesses:

JNO. J. BONNER, O. B. HooNBEoK.

